HEALTHY COMMUNITIES – CANCER, DIABETES, SUBSTANCE ABUSE
The Healthy Communities Program supported a limited number of innovative projects in Cancer, Diabetes and Substance Abuse to benefit patients through sustainable enhancements to health care services. In 2001-02, our interest in Diabetes was redesigned as a proactive, Canada-wide Diabetes Funding Strategy. As this Strategy expanded and began to impact diabetes prevention and care across Canada, the Foundation concluded the Cancer and Substance Abuse programs to build on its strengths by focusing its resources in Diabetes.
CANCER (1993 – 2008)
The Cancer Program provided supportive care education programs for community professionals who lived a distance from major cancer centres. Grants were awarded to charities located in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador for projects that offered continuing education to community-based professionals to enhance the care they provided to their patients as close to home as possible. The Internet and use of telecommunications helped transform the reach of many of the funded initiatives.
Highlights of the Cancer Program’s enduring legacy include grants made to Sky Works Charitable Foundation, Wellspring and the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario.
Kids Care a powerful documentary created by Sky Works, “addresses the issues and needs of young people who have lost a loved one to cancer”. It is used broadly to help communities better understand and support young people experiencing grief. In 2007, Kids Care received a prestigious Henry Hampton award for excellence in film and digital media from the Council on Foundations based in Washington D.C.
Wellspring provides support, coping skills, and education to individuals and family members living with cancer and their volunteer and professional caregivers.
Successful Academic and Vocational Training Initiative (SAVTI), led by the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario, was supported to expand across Ontario and to secure continuing funding for this valuable program. The Foundation was inspired by the dedication of pediatric oncologist Dr. Mark Greenberg and his colleagues to help maximize the quality, vigour and enjoyment of life years lived for childhood cancer survivors after diagnosis and treatment.
We are proud of our grantees’ leadership to offer supportive care to those living with or affected by cancer.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE (1993 – 2005)
The Substance Abuse Program supported projects that offered the tools and best and most recent practices to health care professionals. The Program was based on prevention and on the knowledge that early detection and brief interventions could help reduce the personal and social consequences of addiction. Grants benefited charities in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
Highlights of the Program’s enduring legacy include work led by Dr. Deana Midmer (d. 2011), Dr. Meldon Kahan and Dr. Lynn Wilson of the Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto.
Project CREATE (Curriculum Renewal and Evaluation of Addiction Endeavours) and CREATE Canada (Community Readiness and Effectiveness in Addiction Treatment Endeavours) have effected changes in the way addiction is taught in medical school and presented in continuing education sessions.
The PRIMA Project (Pregnancy-Related Issues in the Management of Addiction) focused on training health care providers who care for women with problematic substance use in pregnancy. PRIMA GARDE (Pregnancy-Related Issues in the Management of Addiction Guideline and Resource Development Evaluation) furthered the work of PRIMA by developing national better practice recommendations for the management of substance use in pregnancy and measuring their effectiveness in changing practice and improving patient outcomes.
These projects have raised awareness among Canadian professionals about the extent of addiction issues and of enhanced diagnostic and treatment skills. We applaud our grantees whose commitment to sharing better practice recommendations has helped ensure optimal care for those with substance use issues.
